Symptoms of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Lumbar spinal stenosis describes the narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back (or the lumbar segment of the vertebral column). Someone can develop lumbar spinal stenosis for a variety of reasons, the most common are a previous back injury or just a result from the natural process of aging.

Regardless of the reasons of why lumbar spinal stenosis develops, the symptoms are caused by an abnormal protrusion of muscle tissue or bone, which compress the nerve roots in the lower back. In more severe cases of lumbar spinal stenosis, the spinal cord itself is compressed causing extreme pain and possible paralysis.

There are many common symptoms of lumbar spinal canal stenosis. These symptoms include numbness, cramping, pain or weakness in one or both feet, the legs or the buttocks. Usually, these symptoms will become more pronounced with walking, standing straight or leaning backward. These symptoms will become less noticeable may become less noticeable when sitting down or leaning forward. This can be treated by all leanding spine surgeons in Chennai. Do visit them immediately without any delay.

Stiffness or tightness in the muscles of the legs can be another symptom. Muscle stiffness is often present in lumbar spinal stenosis patients due to the constant irritation of the nerves that lead to the legs. This irritation causes the nerves to fire constantly, which can cause the leg muscles to spasm and stiffen.

The loss of bladder and bowel control and the incomplete emptying of the bladder is another set of symptoms due to the partial or near-total disruption of the nerves in and around the lower back that are responsible for the regulation of bladder and bowel function. In the most severe cases of lumbar spinal stenosis, nerve function can be lost to the extent that control of the bladder and rectal muscles may be completely compromised.

Obviously, lumbar spinal stenosis will result in back pain. However, the pain may range from almost unnoticeable to a constant, severe pain. When the pain is present, it will feel as if it is radiating from the patient's lower back into the hips and legs. The patient will usually be able to point to specific region on the lower back where their pain seems to be the most severe.

After considering the patient's medical history and the patient's description of symptoms, a spinal doctor will usually order diagnostic testing. Confirming that a patient is suffering from lumbar spinal stenosis usually will require imaging tests, such as Computed Tomography (CT) scans or x-rays of the lumbar region. MRI technologies have been invaluable in cases of spinal stenosis due to their high sensitivity in detecting small changes in the anatomy of the lower back.

Lumbar spinal canal stenosis often is the result of other injuries to the lower back as well as changes in anatomy and function of the spine taking place as part of the natural process of growing old. A complete and conclusive diagnosis should be entrusted to your doctor.

Causes Of Backpain: Poor Posture Or Muscle Strain

Back pain is a common phenomenon in the United States with nearly 80% of the population suffering from it. However, a large portion of them are unaware of the reasons or the causes of this problem. A strain in the muscles is the most common cause of backpain. Although back pain may emerge suddenly, it may be caused by a problem which has plagued us for a long time.

Back pain is generally not a serious problem and disappears quickly in most of the cases. However, medical advice from neurosurgeon in Chennai is essential in cases where the pain persists for a long time. It is a general notion that bed rest is the best cure for back pain. But evidence has shown that rest does not aid in the recovery of a person suffering from Back pain. It is much better if one carries on with normal activities while taking some measures for relieving the pain. It is essential that we find out the true causes of the backpain.

Back pain is one of the most common ailments with 8 out of 10 people experiencing it at one or the other point of time in their life. Backpain can be acute, recurrent or chronic. A poor posture or an injury to the back muscles or problems like tumor, infection or Osteroarthritis can be the major causes of backpain.

The most common cause of backpain is a poor posture or positioning. Sitting or standing in one position for a long time also results in backpain. An imbalance of the muscles which arises when some of our muscles are being used regularly while others are not. This is also a major cause of backpain.

Overuse or underuse of the back are also one of the causes of backpain. Inflammation and swelling often occur in the joints and ligaments, especially in the cervical and lumbar regions, as people grow old. A herniated disc or spinal stenosis which refers to the narrowing of the spine also results in back pain.

Conditions that can result in spinal stenosis include infection, tumors, trauma, a herniated disc, arthritis, thickening of the ligaments and disc degeneration. In the case of the old people, Spinal stenosis is a result of the degeneration of their vertebrae. Any kind of injury which damages our muscles, joints, ligaments, and vertebrae also a cause of backpain.

A tumor in the spine results in the compression of the muscles or the nerve roots in the back and are the major causes of backpain. The muscles in the back may also get compressed due to an infection in the vertebrae and may result in serious neurological deterioration.

4 Benefits and Risks for Back Pain Surgery

Back pain is certainly one of the most terrible injuries you can have. Research shows that back pain is the most frequent cause of activity limitation in people younger than 45 years old. There are many different causes why one gets back pain. Some of the pain might be an acute while the others are long-term pain.

Treatment of long-term back pains ranges from simple exercises at home to surgery by specialize orthopedics. Surgeries can be quite complicated and it should only be done when there is unbearable pain that causes instability in movement, or nerve problems that causes inability to control the bladder. However, back surgery does have its benefits too.

Firstly, back surgery will decrease the time needed for recovery. The normal recovery time for the common procedures have been shortened due to advancement in technology. The speed in which for your recovery is dependent on numerous factors such as your age, your illness condition and your physical health. The average time for recovery after a surgery is approximately eight to eleven weeks.

Secondly, back surgery will improve your lifestyle after the operation. The improvement in your lifestyle is certainly another key benefit in which one would decide if they should opt in for surgery. During a back fracture, it is necessary for one to go through a back surgery so that the fractured bones can be healed.

Besides the benefits of performing a back surgery, there are certain risks involved in going through the surgery. These risks should be carefully thought of and discussed with your doctor should you proceed on with the surgery.

The first risk is that, there is a possibility that your injury will become worse after the surgery. Sometimes surgery might cause deformity to the areas that was operated. There might also be the possibility where by your pain may gets worsened or the loss of use of a limb.

The second risk occurs when the surgery does not work on you. This is because some types of back pain cannot be healed through operation. So it is pointless if you undergo a surgery to cure a back pain that does not heal it.

It is essential that you would consult your doctor first before making a choice to go for a back surgery. Even though there are benefits to perform operation on your back due to the excruciating pain, but it is advisable to consult a doctor first before making any decisions.

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